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A.R.T.I.C. Hub = Traffic Hell for Residents

The truth about the planned A.R.T.I.C. Hub is sad and depressing. I read a paper a few years ago (that I tried to locate for this blog to no avail) that stated the many reasons why Californians don’t embrace mass public transportation. The reasons included the corporate sabotage of our early systems, the lack of political capital such projects bring politicians, and most interesting to me, the fact that California doesn’t have a mass public transportation culture or mindset.

Teenagers can get drivers permits when they turn 15 1/2, and they can get a license 6 months later. Having a car when you’re a HS senior is the maker or breaker in the youth culture (lest your parents pick you up and drop you off on your dates and hangouts).Â Many parents pride themselves on being able to get their younglings their own vehicle (this is especially true in the Hispanic culture, que no Gustavo?). Who wants to carpool to work with that weird smelly guy from accounting? The fact of the matter is we are a car driving society.

The thing that gets to me is that Anaheim’s Mayor Curt Pringle and Harry Sidhu, our two most rabidly conservative council members offer two words when pressed for their planning of future traffic congestion. A.R.T.I.C. Hub. Instead of putting efforts into planning for future traffic congestion, and Â following traffic trends that indicate that our current public transportation systems do nothing to mitigate traffic, they insist that the A.R.T.I.C. Hub will be the cure all to our traffic woes. The Hub for those of you that don’t know is going to be a consortium of taxi’s, light rail, magnet bullet rails from Prop 1A, and our current bus systems that will make Anaheim the mass transport hub of Orange County.

In reality the A.R.T.I.C. hub will only serve bring more revenue and more traffic woes, to Anaheim because our resort district. That’s all fine and dandy; I mean I pay awesome utility rates that are typically 20% lower than surrounding cities. And the project will make more (crappy) jobs that pay 8 bucks an hour, and so on.Â But to hide this wolf in sheep’s clothing , and tout it as a traffic fixer and revolutionizer for Anaheim Â when it’s real purpose is to bring more people, quicker into Anaheim is deceitful and dangerous when you take into account that no other traffic planning is being seriously approached.

To compound the problem further, Anaheim will have 15% more homes in 2012. And our sports fanatical Mayor is trying his hardest to bring a football team to Anaheim.Â And did I mention we’ll need another stadium for them?

Steve Perez

is a young political operative, and life-time resident of Anaheim. His parents immigrated to the US illegally in the 70's and settled with their respective families within 1 block of where he currently resides. Since then they've become US Citizens, home-owners, and completed their education. Steve takes a special interest in federal politics, the Gay Right's Movement, and corruption in the political process. Most recently, he helped elect Lon Hurwitz to the Superior Court Bench, as the campaign's Field Manager and Campaign Coordinator. View all posts by Steve Perez →

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4 comments for “A.R.T.I.C. Hub = Traffic Hell for Residents”

Adam D. Probolsky

December 23, 2008 at 11:17 pm

Aren’t liberals supposed to support public transportation?

Steve Perez

December 24, 2008 at 12:30 am

Perhaps, but I’m not against the A.R.T.I.C. hub. I’m against it being touted as the solution for Anaheim’s traffic woes, when in reality it will do nothing to alleviate traffic.
All the while traffic will be getting worse and no real planning will have taken place because the Hub was supposed to be the solution. I’m against stupidity, and against pockets that are going to be made considerably fatter at the taxpayers expense all while lying to the public about about the projects true purpose, making it easier for tourists to get here.

There are other factors at work to reduce traffic congestion in the OC.

If Gov Arnold and the State Dems have their way – the soon expected big jump in Car Taxes and Gas Taxees will discourage a lot of drivers off the road.

Damon Tordini

January 11, 2009 at 7:43 pm

Sorry, but you at no point explain why you think NOT building it would be better for traffic. I’ve never heard anybody claim that simply building this thing will by itself solve congestion problems.

What it will do is facilitate the integration of a number of new systems such as the bus rapid transit lines, the light rail/street car to Disneyland, new local shuttles, and the CA high speed rail, in addition to OCTA, Metrolink, and Amtrak.

Plus, a good amount of the people in Anaheim at any given time are there for entertainment, so better regional transportation to the tourist destinations will help everyone’s traffic.